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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · calf · leaves · chest · stem · bass · board · file

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a line of people
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bass — low music
  19. chest — a box
  20. file — a document
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com